


What's your Favourtie Colour?

by AnotherWriterInTheDark



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, M/M, Merlin is clueless, One Shot, both are very smitten
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:46:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26923084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnotherWriterInTheDark/pseuds/AnotherWriterInTheDark
Summary: Little fluffy one shot of a soulmate au where after you meet your soulmate you start seeing colour.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 23
Kudos: 276





	What's your Favourtie Colour?

First it was red. From his very first day in Camelot Merlin began to see it everywhere. It was the colour of the rugs, of the carpets, of the King’s Throne. It was a colour of many of the flowers and the potions in Gaius’ workspace. It was the colour the knights wore. It was the colour Arthur wore.

It was very loud. He couldn’t miss it if he tried. He was grateful that as the weeks in Camelot went on that other colours began to reveal themselves to him. The browns of the wood furniture, the green of the forest, the blues of the ocean, each colour adding new beauty to the world.

He believed he finally hit the full spectrum of colours the day he and Arthur were being tested on the beach after a bad incident with a unicorn. This was the first time that he noticed the colour of the water also matched Arthur’s eyes.

What was Merlin to do about this full range of colours? Well there wasn’t much he could do. Soulmates were considered rare and therefore they were also considered as abnormal. Uther believed them to have magical ties and although he didn’t think having a soulmate was reason for execution it was widely frowned upon so never spoken about.

Merlin thinks that if everyone knew how much more beautiful the world becomes once you can see all of its colours, that more people would try to find their soulmates. Even though Merlin was uncertain how exactly his colour seeing ability would help him pin down the other. One thing was for sure, the colours would keep him in Camelot. It was widely believed that the intensity of the colours was linked with your closeness to your other half. Mainly in your location but also in how strong your relationship with the other was.

Merlin did notice on days when he was missing from the palace for too long on one of his solo missions that as the days went on the trees would get duller and duller. He was always grateful to return home and pull Arthur’s curtains open and watch the room come to life.

Then on days when Merlin’s mood was sour and he would be grumpy and distant. He found the world would dull down again. Luckily it never returned fully to its original black and white state. He couldn’t imagine life without colours anymore. He enjoyed watching the grass while the knights trained in the field. He enjoyed working with Gaius and being praised by his ability to colour match potions to guide in his book so well. He liked the gold of Arthur’s hair in the sunlight. Merlin had found it hard not to stare at everything in the beginning. Now he only gets caught up sometimes. Like today.

The sun was setting; the golden light shone between the leaves of the trees and made everything look warm. Arthur was on his horse reading off directions from a map. He was practically glowing. The light reflected off his armour, his red cape stood out against the greenery like a sore thumb and Merlin swore his heart stopped when Arthur’s eyes so blue, so clear, so beautiful, abruptly met his.

He expected the other to bark at him, tell him off for staring but he froze too. When he did speak it wasn’t out of anger but confusion. “What?”

Merlin blinked and looked away focusing on a tree just behind the other. “Nothing, I was just lost in thought,” Then under his breath he mumbled “not that you’d know what that was like.” His teasing was an attempt to distract the other so he didn’t have to admit he was simply admiring him.

It worked; Arthur rolled his eyes “Haha Merlin. You are very amusing - did you listen to anything I said? I think we should take camp here and head east at first light.”

With that they dismounted and made camp for the night. They sat by the fire and discussed the rest of the journey ahead. “Fetch me my notebook from my bag would you Merlin?”

Merlin returned to the horses and opened the bag to find there were in fact two journals in there. A red one with gold lettering and a plain blue one.

“Which one?” Merlin called out.

“The blue one.” Arthur said simply.

Without hesitation Merlin let go of the red book and began walking back with the blue. He didn’t even realise the other had slipped up until his hand froze when grabbing the book. He looked up at Merlin and then back at the book and then back up at Merlin and then back at the book.

“I shouldn’t have said that.” He mumbled. He had gone as white as a ghost, Merlin could only imagine how horrified he himself looked. Surly Arthur now knew not only did he slip up in saying blue, but Merlin had slipped up in not questioning which one was blue and then grabbing the correct one. The correct phrasing would be to say the ‘darker of the two’ or ‘he one without the etching.’

“A lucky guess?” Arthur attempted.

“By me or by you?”

Arthur hesitated but admitted “Yes, a lucky guess by me and by you.”

Merlin let go of the book encouraging the other to take it. “I understand.” He knew what Arthur really meant was they were not to speak of this to anyone, it was merely an accident. It was just lucky they both assumed the same book to be blue, it’s not that hard a guess to make.

After Arthur recited whatever information he had sought form his notes they sat quietly watching the fire.

“What’s your favourite?” Merlin inquired… maybe he shouldn’t have, but he had been dying to talk to someone else about it and for the moment it was still just the two of them here.

“What?” once again a _what_ of confusion not out of anger.

“Mine is green.” Merlin fiddled with his hands “I like how it enhances everything, the trees, the grass the bushes, it makes the forest less daunting during the day. I love green in all its many shades. From the darkest edges of the forest to the way the sun shines on the grass.”

He glances at Arthur.… perhaps he’s made a mistake in bringing it up. However Arthur’s face shows no tension. He looks around briefly before staring into the fire and letting out a short breath. “Mine is blue.” His voice is soft, just above a whisper. “Blue is the sky, blue is the ocean blue is …” he looks up at Merlin their eyes meeting for just a moment. Then Arthur decides to stop himself from saying whatever the third thing was. He looks away and settles with “there are lots of beautiful things that are blue.”

Merlin agreed with that. “I’m surprised you wouldn’t say red, as it is the colour of Camelot.”

To this Arthur chuckles and shakes his head. “Red is very loud.”

“Very.” Merlin scratches his head “It was the first colour I saw, I was very startled.”

Arthur nods and keeps quiet for a few moments… “May I ask when?” This time it looks as if it was he the one who felt he was asking too much. He was not.

“Shortly after moving to Camelot” he admits. “And you?”

Arthur shifts in his seat a bit “Uh mine was blue… and I don’t remember when exactly actually… not too long ago really I just remember you woke me up one day and I could see the colour of your shirt and your eyes and the sky outside the window which you had just very kindly opened to wake me.”

If they were sat closer Merlin had no doubt Arthur would punch him. Instead he stole one more glance of Merlin before suggested they turn in for the night, as it was early rise tomorrow for their long journey.

On the third day of their five day journey they pair came across a clearing that overlooked a body of water. Arthur stopped his horse first. “Shall we admire it?”

Merlin smiled and joined the other in getting off his horse to look over the view. They stood together on the hill top taking it all in. The water was crystal clear, and there was not a cloud in the sky.

“I think maybe you’re right.” Merlin says “perhaps blue is prettier then green.”

Arthur shakes his head “No, look at it, without the landscapes surrounding the lake,” he points out the trees and grassy hills around. “it wouldn’t be the same, it’s the blue and the green in harmony take makes it so spectacular.”

To this Merlin smiles, he was right.

The longer Merlin stares at what was in front of him the more puzzled he became. “You know it’s strange, usually on journeys when I’m away from the castle for this long it all begins to fade.”

Arthur turns to him also puzzled “I can’t say I agree it’s usually when I’m at home when the colours fade for me.”

“Oh, well I come out for small trips to get uh herbs, for Gaius sometimes and usually by day three I can’t make out the different shades in the leaves.”

He looks back at Arthur to see the other staring at him startlingly intensely.

This time it was Merlin’s turn for a confused “What?”

“You do disappear for days don’t you?” his eyebrows knit together “and it’s always a dreadful, cloudy gloomy few days. Then, when you return, you open my window and the room is so bright and full of life again.”

“Aw I didn’t realise you missed me so much.” Merlin teases this time receiving a heavy punch from the other.

“Shut up Merlin this is serious.”

“What is?”

“Don’t tell me you’re that daft. Or were you too busy taking in my good looks to listen to me again?”

Merlin turns from the beautiful scenery in front of him to look at the beautiful man beside him. “Hey I was listening before!” He decides to ignore the fact that Arthur knew what he was really doing.

“Okay then what do you think about what I’m thinking.?”

Merlin looks away “I’m thinking that it sounds too good to be true.” He wasn’t ready to admit to Arthur that he had fallen in love a few times before and always manged to disprove the person of his affection as his soulmate. Although he has felt this way about Arthur for a while, he could never bring himself to humour the possibility of him as a soulmate as he knew to disprove it would be too much.

Arthur lifts Merlin’s head with his hand to look at him. “Well I’m thinking I can’t believe I didn’t realise sooner. My favourite colour is blue, because it reminds me of you.”

Merlin felt his face go red and his heart grew warm as he knew, Arthur could see his blushing too.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a big sucker for a soulmate au and I swear I've read every one for this ship and I think the world needs MORE!!!  
> Anyway I hope you enjoyed! This was rather quick turn around for me and probably could have been read a few more times but I was just so excited to post it so here you go! Anyway I hope you enjoyed <3 Thank you for reading!


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